Half a month later, beneath a sky dyed bright and clear by the afternoon sunlight, with a gentle sea breeze continuously drifting across the coast, Lucian sat leisurely on a small folding stool placed on a weathered wooden dock by the shore on the outskirts of Styxia, wearing a straw hat, loud floral shorts, and nothing on his upper body.
A fishing rod rested loosely in his hand, the thin fishing line hanging straight down into the deep blue seawater in front of him, occasionally swaying slightly with the movement of the waves.
If others happened to see him like this, he would clearly look completely at ease, like a retired man peacefully and leisurely enjoying life without a single worry on his mind.
Not far away, Hysilens sat quietly on a large reef with her fair bare feet soaking in the cool seawater, gently swaying back and forth along with the rhythm of the tide.
Her long black hair was loosely tied behind her head with a simple strand of seaweed, while the remaining silky strands cascaded naturally down her back, fluttering lightly under the sea breeze.
Like Lucian, she also held a small and delicate-looking fishing rod that he had personally made for her.
However, unlike the relaxed and carefree Lucian, she fished with remarkable focus and seriousness, her beautiful eyes fixed firmly on the floating bobber without blinking even once, as though she was treating the simple act of fishing as something extremely important.
Time seemed to have left no marks on either of them.
Lucian was still as handsome as he had been when they first met, his appearance barely changing in the slightest, while Hysilens had grown even more graceful and charming over the years, carrying an added hint of allure and mature elegance that she had not possessed before.
"Obviously, you could grab tons of fish with one hand, so why even bother wasting time fishing like this, Lucian?"
"Why, huh...? Well, because when you're here, even something slow kinda turns into something worth enjoying."
A faint smile appeared on Lucian's face as he lazily leaned back slightly against the stool while replying to Hysilens's question, calmly enjoying the peaceful atmosphere surrounding them together with her.
Just as the two of them continued idling away the time together while casually chatting about trivial and meaningless things, low rumbling noises suddenly echoed from afar, gradually breaking the quiet tranquility surrounding the coast.
*Thud!* *Clang!* *Thud!* *Clang!*
It was the sound of heavy, orderly footsteps and the harsh grinding of metal armor against itself that shattered the quiet of the shore.
A few moments later, a massive army slowly emerged along the distant shoreline.
A dark and overwhelming mass stretched endlessly across the coast like a rising tide of steel, with countless banners fluttering fiercely beneath the sea wind, each one embroidered with the unmistakable pattern of chess pieces.
From those banners alone, it was immediately clear that they were none other than the Flame-Chase Army!
At the very front, someone rode atop a towering dromas.
Small in stature and dressed in luxurious blue-and-white attire adorned with intricate golden patterns, with a burning crown resting proudly upon her head, her figure appeared tiny compared to the enormous beast beneath her.
Despite her small stature, however, her presence was anything but small, instead carrying an overwhelming and oppressive weight that naturally drew everyone's attention toward her.
Needless to say, it was Cerydra, and behind her followed her army, consisting of a large number of Chrysos Heirs as well as a great many elite soldiers clad in heavy armor, their movements disciplined and orderly as they advanced toward the sea.
"Imperator, that's the sea… Phagousa is within the palace deep beneath the sea."
Apollonius pointed ahead while gazing at the vast dark-blue sea in the distance, his expression carrying a trace of solemnness.
"We've already marched this far and still haven't encountered any resistance..." Aglaea said thoughtfully with a slight frown. "Either the Ocean King truly doesn't care, or there's some kind of scheme at work..."
As she spoke, her gaze quietly swept across the sea before her.
Truth be told, she had come along precisely because she wanted to see the Ocean King in person. In all her years, she had never once had the chance to meet the legendary Ocean King, the being who was said to be omnipotent, existing even above the Titans themselves.
Just the thought of finally meeting such an ancient and mysterious existence was enough to make even her feel a rare sense of curiosity and caution.
"Better if he doesn't care. If it's a scheme… hmph, then I'll—"
"You'll just wait to die."
Before Labienus could even finish his words, Seneca coldly cut him off, her expression flat and indifferent as she did not attempt whatsoever to conceal the ridicule in her tone.
"You—!"
"Enough!"
Cerydra frowned as she directly silenced the argument, her cold and heavy voice instantly crushing the tension brewing between the two.
"Whether it's a scheme or not, this is still an opportunity for you to prove your loyalty to me."
Hearing this, neither of them dared to continue bickering any further.
Meanwhile, second by second, the army steadily drew closer to where Lucian and Hysilens were located, and as expected, they finally noticed the two calmly fishing by the shore.
It went without saying that against the backdrop of this grim military formation, the pair looked utterly out of place, especially Lucian, who wore nothing but a straw hat and loose shorts like some ordinary fisherman leisurely spending his afternoon by the water.
"Hey! You fisherman over there!" Labienus stepped forward and shouted, his voice echoing across the shoreline. "Leave immediately! A war is about to begin here!"
Lucian raised his brows slightly at the sudden shout, then slowly turned his head toward the approaching army.
"A war? Who are you fighting?"
Brimming with a soothing aura, he looked toward the Flame-Chase Army as he calmly asked the question, then slowly lifted his gaze toward the small figure standing atop the dromas.
At that very instant, the golden sunlight pouring down from above fell across his face, outlining those flawless features with an almost unreal sense of clarity.
His black hair swayed lightly in the wind.
His features were so exquisitely refined that they hardly seemed human at all, to the point where they looked more like something meticulously sculpted by the gods themselves.
His golden eyes were not only deep but also noble and divine, as though they contained an entire starry sky within them, carrying an indescribable sense of distant majesty.
And at the corner of his lips, there even seemed to be... a faint, careless smile?
Just like that, the moment they saw his face clearly, nearly everyone present froze in place.
"Hiss!"
"Oh. My. God..."
"S-So handsome..."
"I-Is that face even still human?"
All the male soldiers completely forgot their discipline for a moment and couldn't help whispering in shock, their eyes filled with disbelief.
Needless to say, if even the men were stunned to such an extent, then the women were affected even more deeply.
Verginia nearly dropped the quill in her hand on the spot.
Aglaea's beautiful eyes widened slightly as she stared at Lucian, her usually calm expression looking somewhat dazed for a rare moment.
Seneca's mocking expression stiffened directly on her face, as if even she had momentarily forgotten what she wanted to say.
Tribbie tilted her little head slightly, looking completely baffled as she seriously wondered how someone could possibly be that ridiculously good-looking.
Even Cerydra's pupils contracted slightly as well, a faint ripple quietly appearing within her otherwise calm gaze.
Born as a princess, she had seen countless handsome men and beautiful women ever since childhood, nobles, warriors, scholars, and rulers from countless lands, yet the man standing before her was someone she had to admit was truly breathtaking, probably the most good-looking man she had ever seen in her entire life.
"Imperator! He should be the Ocean King!"
Aglaea quickly snapped out of her daze as she finally recognized Lucian and hurriedly warned Cerydra, her voice carrying an unmistakable trace of urgency.
Several years ago, when she wove clothes for the people of Styxia, she had often heard countless descriptions of the Ocean King's otherworldly appearance from travelers and residents alike, but hearing about it and witnessing it with her own eyes were clearly two entirely different things.
Upon hearing Aglaea's words, everyone present was immediately shocked as they realized that they had actually run directly into the legendary Ocean King himself.
No wonder he was called the Ocean King—just his face alone was already enough to leave an incredibly deep and lasting impression on anyone who saw him.
Cerydra quickly suppressed the brief moment of amazement that had surfaced within her heart, and her gaze soon sharpened once more as the aura around her gradually turned imposing again.
"So, you're the Ocean King?"
Cerydra asked calmly, her clear voice carrying the natural authority and dignity of a ruler who had long stood above countless others.
"If you mean the big brother who protects this place, then yeah, that's me."
Lucian replied just as calmly, casually shrugging his shoulders as though the title itself did not carry any particular weight in his eyes.
"I see... I've heard you're very strong, strong enough to guard an entire region and make countless rulers fall..."
Cerydra said as she slightly lifted her chin, her gaze becoming even sharper and more aggressive than before.
"In that case, let me see it for myself! Just how strong are you?!"
Her voice suddenly rose, filled with confidence, provocation, and an undisguised fighting spirit.
"Are you really worthy of that title?!"
As these sharp words fell from her mouth, the scepter in her hand immediately pointed straight at Lucian, its tip aimed directly at him without the slightest hesitation.
Lucian, in response, merely raised an eyebrow slightly, calmly looking at her small yet overwhelmingly aura-filled figure as though he were looking at a child throwing a tantrum in front of him.
Not only did he show no anger, but there was even a faint trace of amusement in his eyes.
He smiled slightly before speaking in an unhurried and casual tone.
"How strong am I, huh? Hmm..." Lucian paused for a few moments, slowly stroking his chin as though he were genuinely thinking about how to properly describe it before continuing leisurely, "I guess catching you would be about as easy as catching a chick."
As soon as these words left his mouth, the atmosphere exploded!
An enormous uproar immediately erupted throughout the army, and the countless soldiers instantly descended into chaos and fury!
"How dare you!"
"You cocky bastard!"
"You dare insult the Imperator?!"
Angry roars echoed one after another without end, filled with disbelief and rage.
Many soldiers even instinctively gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes glaring furiously at Lucian as though they wanted nothing more than to tear him apart on the spot.
Labienus, in particular, looked as though he were already on the verge of losing control, his entire expression darkening as the aura around his body surged violently, seemingly ready to charge forward and fight Lucian at any moment.
Cerydra herself suddenly laughed as well, but it was clearly not a laugh filled with joy or amusement, but rather one completely filled with wrath and humiliation!
As easy as catching a chick?
Was he actually comparing her, the great Imperator, to some powerless little chick?!
"Utter nonsense! Outrageous arrogance!"
Cerydra shouted furiously, her voice filled with anger and disbelief as the scepter in her hand nearly cracked beneath the terrifying force of her grip.
"I! The Imperator! The Empress of Okhema! Am standing right here! Go on! Catch me if you can!"
As she shouted in a voice overflowing with rage, authority, and absolute confidence, she straightened her small body without the slightest trace of retreat, lifting her chin proudly as though she alone stood above all others, and at the same time, a powerful aura suddenly burst forth from her figure like a violent storm sweeping across the desert!
All these years, after experiencing wars for so many years, she had never once been captured alive.
Forget being captured—she had never even suffered a single defeat.
In fact, countless assassins and killers alike had all died before they could even come within three steps of her, their bodies already collapsing before their blades could ever reach her.
For that reason, being captured alive was nothing more than a ridiculous joke to her.
However, the moment her challenging words fell, before her furious voice had even fully faded into the air, a sudden change that would terrify everyone occurred.
In just a blink, Lucian had already moved, yet no one saw how he moved.
One moment, he was still sitting casually on the small stool, looking relaxed and completely unhurried, but the next moment, his figure had already vanished like a ghost disappearing into thin air, and all that remained behind was a faint afterimage along with a thin ring of disturbed sand spreading outward from where he had been sitting—the speed was so terrifying that it left everyone's minds blank for an instant.
Cerydra's vision blurred violently as she felt an irresistible and terrifying force instantly envelop her entire body. Like an invisible giant hand descending from the sky, it yanked her straight up from the dromas's back with overwhelming strength—it was so fast, far too fast, to the point that even her thoughts couldn't keep up with what was happening!
In that moment, she could only feel the world spinning around her and the wind howling wildly beside her ears, while the scenery before her eyes became a chaotic blur. By the time she finally reacted, she was already hanging helplessly in midair, her feet completely off the ground like a cloth doll being lifted effortlessly!
Needless to say, the sudden reversal happened so quickly that the surrounding soldiers and attendants could not even react in time.
In everyone's sight, the Imperator who should have still been sitting proudly atop the dromas had already vanished from her original position and was instead now firmly within Lucian's grasp.
At this moment, Lucian was still holding his fishing rod in one hand, while with the other, he casually lifted Cerydra by the back of her collar like a little cat being picked up by the nape of the neck.
Effortless.
Relaxed.
As natural and easy as breathing itself.
Not even the slightest fluctuation could be seen on his face, as though capturing the mighty Imperator before everyone's eyes had merely been a trivial and insignificant action to him.
"..."
Every member of Cerydra's army fell completely silent, their eyes widening slightly as they stood there in utter disbelief, looking thoroughly dazed while trying to comprehend what had just happened before their eyes.
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[A bonus chapter for every 300 Power Stones.]
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